military was small and un ##rea ##dy for war . recruiting for a second australian imperial force ( 2nd ai ##f ) began in mid @ - @ september . while there was no rush of volunteers like the first world war , a high proportion of australian men of military age had enlisted by mid @ - @ 1940 . four infantry divisions were formed during 1939 and 1940 , three of which were dispatched to the middle east . the raaf ' s resources were initially mainly devoted to training airmen for service with the commonwealth air forces through the empire air training scheme ( eats ) , through which almost 28 @ , @ 000 australians were trained during the war . the australian military
military was small and unready for war. recruiting for a second australian imperial force ( 2nd aif ) began in mid @ - @ september. while there was no rush of volunteers like the first world war, a high proportion of australian men of military age had enlisted by mid @ - @ 1940. four infantry divisions were formed during 1939 and 1940, three of which were dispatched to the middle east. the raaf's resources were initially mainly devoted to training airmen for service with the commonwealth air forces through the empire air training scheme ( eats ), through which almost 28 @, @ 000 australians were trained during the war. the australian military